New Zealand PM Luxon open to referendum on electoral system

SYDNEY, Aug 6 - New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Thursday he was open to a referendum on whether to change the country's electoral system.

Hiroshima urges leaders to abolish nuclear weapons on 81st A-bomb anniversary

A moment of silence was observed at the exact time when the uranium bomb was dropped on Aug 6, 1945.

Myanmar president visits Thailand on quest for legitimacy as Bangkok backs engagement

Thailand will be the fourth country Min Aung Hlaing has visited as president.

From faded letters to WeChat: How some Teochew families in Southeast Asia are finding long-lost relatives

Following the success of Chinese box office hit Dear You, more Singaporeans and Malaysians of Teochew descent are turning to a volunteer network in China to trace their roots and reconnect with long-lost relatives.

Are ‘dumb gym bros’ Thar-nishing one of India’s most popular SUVs?

The Mahindra Thar SUV's affordability is turning out to be a double-edged sword for the brand.

Bangladesh’s economy stable on the surface, fragile underneath

Bangladesh Bank is beginning to loosen monetary policy from an unusually favorable position on the currency front. Despite persistent inflation and deep strains in the banking system, the taka has been among the most stable currencies in South Asia and neighboring economies

Ex-leader Hasina gambles on return to Bangladesh despite death penalty

The 78-year-old has been convicted of crimes against humanity over a deadly crackdown on a 2024 uprising.

Youth protests have weakened Modi, Indian activist who went on hunger strike tells BBC

The "cockroach" movement was one of the biggest public displays of dissent against India's prime minister in years.

Yemen's Houthis say they attacked Saudi oil tankers in Red Sea, Gulf of Aden

DUBAI, Aug 5 - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Wednesday they had launched a missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of the kingdom's Red Sea port city of Yanbu and another missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.

Rubio, Miliband discuss Ukraine war, Europe taking greater role in its own security

WASHINGTON, Aug 5 - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband discussed the importance of Europe taking a greater role in its security during a meeting in Washington on Wednesday, the State Department said in a statement.

Malaysia says will not repatriate Myanmar refugees if lives are at risk

The statement follows Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced plans to return 5,000 refugees to Myanmar.

Malaysia says will not repatriate Rohingya refugees if lives are at risk

The statement follows Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's announcement of plans to return 5,000 refugees to Myanmar.

Will AI abolish India’s caste system or encode it?

In 2027, India will conduct an exercise of almost unimaginable scale. Hundreds of millions of people will be counted in what the government describes as the country’s first fully digital census. Alongside information about education, migration, fertility and employment,

Former HK beauty queen Grace Chan files police report after son splashed at Spider-Man screening

According to reports, Chan’s son accidentally kicked the back of a woman’s seat during the movie.

Bangladesh ex-PM Hasina says ban on her party should be lifted

NEW DELHI/DHAKA, Aug 5 - Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Wednesday that a ban on her Awami League party should be lifted and reiterated that she would return to her country in December, challenging the new government of her rival Bangladesh Nationalist

Meta apologises to India for restricting PM Modi's post

China’s 25-year tax reach will cost it more than it collects

China is now chasing decades of unpaid tax on money its wealthiest citizens moved offshore, in some cases reaching back as far as 25 years. Call it what it actually is: a state deciding, after the fact, that wealth it once let leave the country is now fair game to reclaim. To

Air India appoints former Ethiopian Airlines chief as CEO

Bangladesh’s ex-PM Hasina says ban on her Awami League party should be lifted

Her comments were made on the second anniversary of her ouster in 2024.

Claims of man-made quake spread online in Japan after Kumamoto disaster

Experts dismiss the theory as unrealistic in technological, financial and practical terms.

The Iran off-ramp Trump keeps driving past

Five months into what historians will likely call the 2026 Iran war, Washington finds itself in a posture it has occupied before, in Vietnam, in Iraq, in Afghanistan: too deep in to walk away cleanly, not deep enough in to call the thing won. US President Donald Trump’s

LPG leak may have caused Japan’s Kumamoto mall blast, says govt

The cause of the leak is still under investigation.

World faces fresh food price surge, FAO warns

FRANKFURT, Aug 5 - The world is on the verge of another bout of food inflation as wars in Iran and Ukraine along with El Nino create a perfect storm of higher costs and lower crop yields, the chief economist of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said.

Singapore ready to roll out haze response plans as ASEAN monitoring centre raises alert level

The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre on Monday raised the alert to Level 2, the second-highest level, signalling an increasing risk of transboundary haze in the region.

Video of Japan PM’s quake-hit area visit set to music draws criticism

The video was set to piano music and recapped Takaichi’s visit to Kumamoto Prefecture on Aug 3.

Bet365 among major online betting sites banned in Sri Lanka amid illegal gambling crackdown

The authorities warned Sri Lankans that investing in those sites was illegal.

Europe's race to arm Ukraine exposes how hard it is to build drones without China

Kyiv has reportedly secured a European Union exemption to purchase drone components from China, highlighting Beijing’s deeply embedded role in the supply chain and the strategic influence that position affords, say analysts.

Hong Kong exotic pet expo host charged with illegal possession of endangered species

Animals including a green iguana, a Spencer’s monitor, and a taxidermied African grey parrot were seized in 2022.

Pakistan search team reaches base camp with body of renowned climber Nirmal Purja

Three other climbers – two Nepalis and one Pakistani – remain missing.

Meta apologises to India for restricting PM Narendra Modi’s post and over content and errors

Company sorry for error and also for ads promoting child sexual abuse material on its platforms.

India auto lobby withdraws warning on ethanol fuel damage to revise numbers

Consumers blame the ethanol-blended fuel for mileage drops and vehicle damage.

Pakistan restricts international media reporting

Anyone working for foreign media, including Pakistanis, will now need permission to report from anywhere outside three major cities.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK says employee sexually assaulted by cast member

It happened after a social gathering attended by programme cast members and production staff.

Bangkok hopes to pave way for Myanmar’s return to ASEAN, but analysts say caution is needed

Analysts believe that normalising bilateral ties with Thailand may be the ticket for Myanmar to get back into the ASEAN family.

China complains to Japan over defence white paper, foreign ministry says

The annual Japanese report claims that China has intensified its military activities around Taiwan.

Sri Lankan beauty pageant contestant fined with animal cruelty

The country has strict flora and fauna laws that prohibit handling wildlife, particularly endangered animals.

China sentences former defence industry regulator to 10 years for graft, influence peddling

President Xi Jinping in July urged senior leaders to deepen the fight against corruption in the military.

Under Patel, FBI forges unprecedented law enforcement ties with China, Russia

Aug 5 - FBI Director Kash Patel says he has forged new law enforcement partnerships with China and Russia, two longtime U.S. rivals, over the past year in hopes of gaining allies in combating transnational crime including fentanyl, cyber fraud and child sexual exploitation.

China announces 'countermeasures' after US trade sanctions

China has announced restrictions on drone exports to the US and blacklisted six American companies in response to recent US trade sanctions.

Turkey unveils draft law to re-integrate PKK militants, achieve peace

ANKARA, Aug 5 - Turkey's ruling alliance submitted a draft law to parliament on Wednesday meant to achieve peace with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in part by protecting many former militants from prosecution, and suspending prison sentences for many of those convicted of

17 Michelin-listed restaurants in S. Korea violated food safety laws, report shows

Among the violations were foreign objects found in food and improper sanitary handling.

Taiwan launches major war games to test command flexibility

Tighter security at Malaysian airports, more screenings of pilots after Indonesia trafficking case

A 39-year-old Malaysian Airlines pilot was arrested on July 28 in Jakarta over alleged drug trafficking.

Australia's new data centres must be majority renewable powered, says minister

CANBERRA/PERTH, Aug 5 - Australia’s energy minister Chris Bowen said on Wednesday that plans by the Northern Territory to use its large-scale shale gas resources to power data centres would run counter to proposed national standards, casting doubt over the Territory's ambition

Tech back in fashion as Asian markets extend rebound

Crude oil rose on Wednesday (Aug 5) after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said they attacked a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, denting hopes of a restoration of shipping traffic and oil flows in the Middle East.

Myanmar refugee return will not go ahead if lives are at risk, says Malaysia

Human Rights Watch warned that the refugees face persecution and other rights abuses in Myanmar.

Malaysia says Myanmar refugee return will not go ahead if lives are at risk

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 - Malaysia will not proceed with repatriating 5,000 Myanmar refugees if their lives are found to be at risk upon their return, a government spokesman said on Wednesday, as authorities continued to screen the refugees ahead of the planned handover.